Automatic traffic signal device



i 1935 w. MOELLER 1,997,943

AUTOMATIC TRAFFIC SIGNAL DEVICE Fijed Aug. 8, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 AW)?! 9 1935 W. MQELLER 11 997343 AUTOMATIC TRAFFIC SIGNAL DEVICE Filed Aug. 8, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Chm/mug Patented Apr. 16, 1935 UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

My invention relates to traffic signal devices which are located on automobiles for the purpose of indicating to approaching vehicles Whether the particular vehicle is in motion or is at rest and whether it is going forwardly or is backing.

Primarily the invention has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive device that can be manufactured at low cost, will be rugged in structure, will not easily get out of order, and can be mounted in association with the speedometer drive now commonly used, to be driven by the driving shaft (which is geared to the rear axle through the differential mechanism).

Further it is an object to provide a device of the character stated of a simpler and less expensive design and construction than those disclosed in the prior art, including that of my application Serial No. 619,990, filed June 29, 1932.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends, the invention still further resides in the novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will be first fully described in the following detailed description, then be particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure l is a vertical section on substantially the line of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a part section and part top plan view on approximately the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan View of the circuit closer with the cap removed.

Figure 4 is a perspective View of the distributor head or contact maker.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the centering spring plate.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the insulating finger.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the central or continuous contact finger.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the locking mm.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the collar which cooperates with the pin.

Fi ure 10 is a perspective view of the distributor shaft.

Figure 11 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in elevation showing a modified form of drive.

Figure 12 is a circuit diagram.

In the drawings in which like numerals and letters of reference designate like parts in all of the figures, 1 represents the driving shaft of an automobile which transmits the power from the transmission gearing to the differential gearing of the vehicle. On the shaft l is a worm gear 2 (which is preferably the speedometer driving gear) and 9 indicates the housing which has a boss 4 provided with a threaded bore 5 to receive the coupling member 28 later again referred to.

The housing 3, in the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, has a bearing lug 6 in the bearing socket l of which the end ID of the worm shaft 8 is journaled. The worm 9 on the shaft 8 meshes with the worm gear 2 to drive the shaft 8 from the shaft 1.

The end of the shaft 8 opposite the end l0 projects through the coupling bushing 28 and is bored as at H to receive the connecting key rod l3, a key M of which enters the slot IL in the end of the shaft 8.

The connecting key rod l3 has a collar I5 intermediate its ends.

!8 is the driving worm shaft of an adapter, one end of which is slotted as at 15 and bored as at I! to receive the connecting key rod l3 and another one of its keys l4 whereby the shafts 8 and 18 are lined up and coupled together.

The shaft l8 has a Worm 19 intermediate its ends and the oth r end of the shaft is also bored as at 29 for the reception of the coupling key rod 22 to the speedometer flexible drive shaft 24,

there being a key 23 located in the slot 2| in the end of the shaft Hi to which the speedometer drive shaft is connected.

Z5 is the transmission housing of the adapter and it is provided with threaded ends 26 and 2'! to receive, respectively, the coupling members 28 and 3B. The coupling member 28 has threaded ends 29 and the coupling member 30 has threaded ends 3! The housing 25 has a threaded boss 33 into which one end of the coupling member 35 is screwed.

In alignment with the boss 33 the housing 25 has another internally threaded boss 35 into which the bearing plug 31 is screwed, said plug having a bearing socket 38 for the worm shaft 39 that lies at right angles to the shaft l8 and carries a worm G9 to mesh with the worm l9. Thus the movement of the shaft 1 is transmitted to the shaft 39.

The shaft 39 has a coupling wing or key 4! to engage the slotted coupling head 42 on the end of the distributor shaft 43 which is journalled in the bearing neck ll. The bearing neck 41 has one end internally threaded as at 48 to receive one of the threaded ends 35 of the coupling member 35. The shaft t3 has a reduced portion it extended beyond the base as of the distributor and at its end the reduced portion id is provided with a transverse pin-hole 45, th purpose of which will later appear.

is is a circular fiance upstanding from the base 45 to cooperate with the istributor cap 55. lire base is also provided with an oil duct 5c and an oil cup El by means of which lubricating fluid may be conveyed to the shaft 43 which has bearing in the neck ll. With the arrangement as shown in Figure l the lubricant will gravitate down and lubricate all of the bearing parts and worms within the transmission housing The base 56 is provided with a hole 52 through which the balancing or neutral spring it projects, said spring being anchored at if to the base.

The base is also provided with diametrically opposed pairs of lugs 53 between which lugs the cap-securing spring fingers B l are pivotally secured.

Mounted on the reduced portion 24 of the shaft 43 is a pair of washers 5t and 5? between which a coil 'spring bd is located, the washer 5S engaging the base eii'and the washer 5! engaging the distributor head 59.

The distributor head is provided with a bush- .ing 5'53 to receive the reduced shaft portion l l, the bushing 56 having a flange Si and being moulded intothe distributor head 59 when manu- 'factured, it being understood that the distributor head -59 is composed of vulcanized fiber, Bakelite, or other suitable insulating material.

The distributor head 59 is provided with arms EZ-one of which is cut away as at 63 and the arms are provided with a transverse groove 6d and withsui-tably located rivet-receiving holes 65 and 66. The distributor head is also provided with a central recessed or countersunk portion 63 to receive the flange 6i and a collar l3 which is fitted on the end of the shaft portion M and is held in place by "means of an 'L-shaped pin .84 that is passed through the pin-hole 4 5 and lies in the slot '59 and pin-hole 88 of the collar '38. In this way the distributor head is' rotatably mounted on the reduced portion id but is held in frictional engagement therewith so that it may turn with the shaft until one or the other .of the fixed contacts B b-3K5 are engaged.

j Mounted in the slot E l of the distributor head is a finger E3 of insulating material the end of which overlies the end of the shaft portion i l and the collar Fitted over the finger l3 and the arm 62 is a :U-shaped contactrnember 59. The contact member '69, insulating finger l3 and :arm 52am secured together in any suitable way, as by rivet El. The contact member 5% includes the side contact elements that are adapted to engage the fixed contact posts 84- and re- ,spectively.

The contact member also includes a contact finger il that carries a contact button is which is located in the axis of the shaft is and is adapted to be continuously engaged by the fixed contact terminal post 82. u is a metallic plate riveted at $5 in the groove 6 of the arm and overhanging the recess 5-3. The plate it has a .hole 75 through which the spring l5 projects.

83 is a thumb nut mounted on the terminal post .82 for securing a conductor wire 5% thereto, and 8.5 and ill indicate similar thumb nuts on the posts 85 and 86 respectively.

88 designates a suitable signal case having signal windows .99, 9S and 9 5. The window 89 rear red light circuit or window 23 has a bulb 25 connected in the usual stop light circuit of the vehicle (the connections of and to their respective circuits being Ju omitted in Figure 12 of the drawing as they constitute no part of the present invention). 7

The bulb ti in the window is connected by a wire 9'. to the terminal post while the terminal post is connected by a wire 93 with the bulb (on other signal device) for the window it being un erstood that the several bulbs 9i, E2, and d6 are connected 'to a common ground 9'.

The central terminal post 32 of the distributor is connected by a wire 99 via a fuse plug F to one terminal of the battery B, the other terminal of which is grounded as usual.

In operation when the vehicle is moving forward the shaft 53 will be turned in a direction to cause a contact element it to engage the fixed post 85 and thereby maintain the signal bulb 9i energized. If, however, the vehicle starts backing, a contact element ill will engage with fixed contact post 84 and permit the signal 92 to be energized.

as a lightbulb, it is obvious that a hell or While I have illustrated the signal horn or other audible signal may be substituted v driving the distributor from the speedometer worm a signal is actuated whenever the vehicle moves forwardly or backwardly and regardless of whether or not the vehicle is being driven or is coasting.

In some cases the arrangement of Figure '11 is preferred,- By referring to that figure it will. be seen that the neck lia is coupled directly through coupling 23a to the worm shaft 3a the shaft 33a has a splined collar l ia, to engage the slotted head it! of the coupling Din 5&9 which enters one of the bored ends of the shaft ds and is suitably coupled thereto as at 530.. In this arrangement those parts which are of similar construction and perform the same function as corresponding parts in Figures 1 and 2 bear the same reference numeral plus the index letter a hence a detailed description of the modification of Figure 11 is'believed to be unnecessary.

From the foregoing description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction, advantages and operation of my invention willbe clear to those skilled in the art, and while I have disclosed some modifications of the invention, it will be obvious that others may 'be'made by those sk lled in the art without departing from the .s irit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a signal device for motor vehicles which have a drive shaft and a worm shaft driven thereby and which is provided with signals to indicate forward and backward movement of the vehicle; a circuit closer for actuating said signals,

comprising a support, a shaft rotatable in said 7 support, means coupling said shaft with said worm shaft, a distributor head on said rotatable shaft, a pair of fixedly located contacts adapted for being electrically connected respectively with the forward and rearward movement signals and located for engagement by said distributor head respectively accordin ly as said rotatable sha t turns in one direction or the reverse, said cistributor head having a contact element to cooperate with said fixedly located contacts, a fixed contact terminal engaged with said distributor contact elem nt and adapted for connection with a source of current supply, said distributor head being yieldably mounted on said rotatable shaft.

2. In a signal device for motor vehicles which have a drive shaft and a worm shaft driven there by and which is provided with signals to indicate forward and backward movement of the vehicle; a circuit closer for actuating said signals, com-- prising a support, a shaft rotatable in said support, means coupling said shaft with said worm shaft, a distributor head on said rotatable shaft, a pair of fixedly located contacts adapted for being electrically connected respectively with the forward and rearward movement signal and located for engagement by said distributor head respectively accordingly as said rotatable shaft turns in one direction or the reverse, said distributor head having a contact element to cooperate With said fixedly located contacts, and a fixed contact terminal engaged with said distributor contact element and adapted for connection with a source of current supply, said distributor head being mounted on said rotatable shaft for relative rotation therein and means to cause said distributor head to rotate with said rotatable shaft until one or the other of said pair of fixed contacts shall have been engaged.

3. In a signal device for motor vehicles which have a drive shaft and a worm shaft driven thereby and which is provided with signals to indicate forward and backward movement of the vehicle; a circuit closer for actuating said signals, comprising a support, a shaft rotatable in said support, means coupling said shaft with aid worm shaft, a distributor head on said rotatable shaft, a pair of fixedly located contacts adapted for being electrically connected respectively with the forward and rearward movement signals and located for engagement by said distributor head respectively accordingly as said rotatable shaft turns in one direction or the reverse, said distributor head having a contact element to co operate with said fixedly located contact, and a fixed contact terminal engaged with said distributor contact element and adapted for connection with a source of current supply, said distributor head being mounted on said rotatable shaft for relative rotation therein and means to cause said distributor head to rotate with said rotatable shaft until one or the other of said pair of fixed contacts shall have been engaged, and means operative when said rotatable shaft is at rest to hold said distributor head in a neutral position.

4. A circuit closer for automobile trafiic signals, comprising a base having a bearing neck, a shaft rotatably mounted in said neck and projecting through said base, a distributor head rotatably mounted on said shaft, a collar secured on said shaft for rotation therewith, resilient means for frictionally engaging said distributor head with said collar, means continuously tending to hold said distributor head in a neutral position, a contact member carried by said distributor head and having a finger with a contact portion in alignment with the axis of said h cap fitted on said base, a fixed cont" ct terminal carried by said cap to engage saic na portion, a pair of fixed contact n .l p carried in spaced relation by said cap and head with said collar, means continuoi ing to hold said distributor in a neutsi ion, a contact member car ied by said tor head and having a finger a contact por tion in alignment with the of said s aft, cap fitted on base, a fixed contact 4 carried by cap to engage said c n tact portion, a pair of fixed contact te i ial carried in spaced relation by said cap tioned to be engaged by said distributors contact member one at a time accordingly as said shaft is turned in one direction or the rave" said distributor head having a hushed be rig and a central recess, said shaft having a reduced portion passed through said bushing having a pin-hole, said collar lying in said recess and having a slot and a pin-hole, a pin located said pin-holes and slot, washers on said r duced portion between said distributor head and a shoulder formed at the juncture of said reduced portion with the remainder of said shaft, and a coil spring on said reduced portion and located between said washers.

6. A circuit closer for automobile traffic sig-= nals, comprising a base having a bearing neck, a shaft rotatably mounted in said neck and projecting through said base, a distributor head rotatably mounted on said shaft, a collar secured on said shaft for rotation therewith, resilient cans for frictionally engaging said distributor head with said collar, means continuously tending to hold said distributor head in a neutral po sition, a contact member carried by said distributor head and having a finger with a contact portion in alignment with the axis of said shaft, a cap fitted on said base, a fixed contact ter inal carried by said cap to engage fingers contact portion, a pair of fixed contact terminal posts 5 carried in spaced relation by said cap and positioned to be engaged by said distributor-heads contact member one at a time accordingly as said shaft is turned in one direction or the reverse, said distributor head having a groove, an insulating finger held in said groove and lying between an end of said shaft and said contact members fingers, said continuously tending means comprising a plate having a hole and secure in said til distributor groove, and a spring rod secured to said base and projecting th ough hole.

7. A circuit closer for automobile traffic signals, comprising a base having a bearing neck, a shaft rotatably mounted in said neck and projecting through said base, a distributor head rotatably mounted on said shaft, a collar secured on said shaft for rotation therewith, resilient means for frictionally engaging said distributor head with said collar, means continuously tending to hold said distributor head in a neutral position, a, contact member carried by said distributor head and having a finger with acontact portion in alignment with the axis of said shaft, a cap fitted on said base, a fixed contact terminal carried by said cap to engage said fingers contact portion, a pair of fixed contact terminal posts carried in spaced relation by said cap and positioned to be engaged by said distributorheads contact member one at a time accordingly as said shaft is-turned in one direction or the reverse, said distributor head having a hushed bearing and a central r cess, said shaft having a reduced portion passed through said bushing and having a pin-hole, said collar lying in said recess and having a slot and a pin-hole, a pin located said pin-holes and slot, washers on said reduced portion between said distributor head and a shoulder formed at the juncture of said reduced portion with the remainder of said shaft,

and a coil spring on said reduced portion and located between said washers, said distributor head having a groove, an insulating finger held in said groove and lying between an end of said shaft and said contact members fingers, said continuously tending means comprising a plate having a hole and secured in said distributor groove, and a spring rod secured to said base and projecting through said hole.

8. In a signal device .for a :motor vehicle which has a drive shaft and a Worm shaft driven thereby and which is provided with signals to indicate forward and backward movement of the vehicle; a circuit closer for actuating said signals comprising a support, a shaft rotatable in said support; means coupling said shaft with said worm shaft, a distributor head on said rotatable shaft, a pair of fixedly located contacts adapted for being electrically connected respectively with the forward and backward movement signals and located for engagement by said distributor head respeotively accordingly as said rotatable shaft turns in one direction or the reverse, said distributor head having a contact element to cooperate with said fixedly located contacts, a fixed contact terminal engaged with said distributor contact element and adapted for connection with a source of current supply, said distributor head being yieldably mounted on said rotatable shaft, and a spring means for moving said distributor head to a position out of engagement with either of said fixedly located contacts when the shaft is at rest.

WILLIAM MUELLER. 

